Using External Hard Drives with Notebooks/Vista

[snakelegs]

i have 2 portable external hard drives - one is western digital and one is simpletech. they both said they would work with vista on the box.
they work fine with a desk top PC that has XP media edition, but they will not work with a lap top that has vista. it simply refuses to see them.
i don't know if it's a notebook problem or a vista problem.
i've been getting the run around on this and have tried a number of things and they still won't show up on "computer".
does anyone have any ideas or experience with this problem?

[syilla]

I'm not a really much of an IT person. But i'll try a bit.

Did they come with cds, if they do, maybe you have to install the drivers first.

[snakelegs]

one came with no cd. the other says it needs no drivers.

[syilla]

Try formatting in NTFS

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[snakelegs]

what dat?

[snakelegs]

oh, i'll look in wiki!

[syilla]

what dat?

oops sorry.

i think you have to reformat it first.

Reformat it in NTFS format.

[syilla]

Something like this. Click right hand then click format.

[snakelegs]

hmmm... not sure if i really want to do that - even if i knew how - it sounds scary. i don't want to format the drive - i'm not using the sync or computer back up option. i just want to store some stuff that is taking up too much room on my PC.

[syilla]

hmmm... not sure if i really want to do that - even if i knew how - it sounds scary. i don't want to format the drive - i'm not using the sync or computer back up option. i just want to store some stuff that is taking up too much room on my PC.

Is it a new driver?

If it a new driver then you don't have anything to worry about.

[snakelegs]

yes. they are both new. i loaded some stuff on them from the desktop and can not get the notebook to "see" them. i am wondering if it is a vista issue.
but i have an older portable hard drive and it works fine on both computers. :confused:

[syilla]

yes. they are both new. i loaded some stuff on them from the desktop and can not get the notebook to "see" them. i am wondering if it is a vista issue.
but i have an older portable hard drive and it works fine on both computers. :confused:

actually it is because it is in different format.

if you've loaded some stuff then its not new. :D

erm...try to connect with other computer again. Just check whether its still function properly.

[snakelegs]

sorry for the confusion - they're new because i just bought them. :D
yes, they both still work with the desktop.

[syilla]

The only way is to reformat... :D in ntfs format

Copy all the files into your desktop. Then reformat using your desktop in ntfs format.

InshaAllah everything will b ok.

[afriend]

:sl:

Vista again? As the sister said, reformatting would be your best option, create a new folder on your desktop and copy all the contents of the hard drives onto there, reformatting will erase everything on your hard drives.

Either that, or maybe you may want to look up your Ext. HDD manufacturer's websites to see if they may have any fixes/drivers to work with Vista, you never know sometimes they do require drivers, Vista for you...

Hope that helps.

[------]

:salamext:

I'm well clear of Vista for the next couple of years, think about it then :D

[Dagless]

Vista should see fat32 and ntfs. Besides which if you formatted them in xp it should be ntfs anyway since thats what xp defaults to.
Does it recognise that a usb device has been connected? like do you get the icon in the bottom right near the clock?
Does the drive appear in disk management under admin tools?
Are the drives powered from the mains or just using usb?

[snakelegs]

well, i hadn't wanted to format the portable drives. (i have another one that i've had for several years and never formatted it).
do you think if i format the drive in my desktop xp, the stupid notebook vista will see it?
no the notebook doesn't recognize the drive is connected.
one of the drives (simpletech) brags that it needs no drivers and the other one supposedly has them. simpletech at least tried to be helptful and suggested a couple of things, but none of them work. HP (which is what the notebook is) finally said maybe the drives really weren't vista-compatible even tho the boxes said they were. but this makes no sense because the one that i've had for 3 years works just fine - it's just the new ones that don't.
when computers are nice they are very, very nice.
and when they're bad they are very, very bad. :-\

[syilla]

well, i hadn't wanted to format the portable drives. (i have another one that i've had for several years and never formatted it).
do you think if i format the drive in my desktop xp, the stupid notebook vista will see it?
no the notebook doesn't recognize the drive is connected.
one of the drives (simpletech) brags that it needs no drivers and the other one supposedly has them. simpletech at least tried to be helptful and suggested a couple of things, but none of them work. HP (which is what the notebook is) finally said maybe the drives really weren't vista-compatible even tho the boxes said they were. but this makes no sense because the one that i've had for 3 years works just fine - it's just the new ones that don't.
when computers are nice they are very, very nice.
and when they're bad they are very, very bad. :-\

InshaAllah the notebook will see it.

Try reformatting, formatting doesn't really hurt much and it doesn't create problems. :peace:

Anyway, the external hard disk usually come with guarantee. :coolalien

[snakelegs]

i'll give it a try (that is, if i can figure out how!).
the thing is the drives are not defective. (because they work in the desk top). so it's either a laptop or a vista issue.

[snakelegs]

Vista should see fat32 and ntfs. Besides which if you formatted them in xp it should be ntfs anyway since thats what xp defaults to.
Does it recognise that a usb device has been connected? like do you get the icon in the bottom right near the clock?
Does the drive appear in disk management under admin tools?
Are the drives powered from the mains or just using usb?

i just realized i did not answer all your questions.
no, it doesn't recognize the connection - no icon, no admin. tools. the drives have a cord that plugs in to the side of the notebook. simpletech suggested i plug it in to a hub instead, which i did - but nothing.

[wilberhum]

Snake,
I had a simular problem. I haven't read through every thing but the final solution was unplug power to the drive, disconect the drive , turn off the computer, turn on the computer, plug in power to the drive, and reattach the drive. Then every thing started working. Da! I really felt stupid, but it worked.

[snakelegs]

thanks wilber. i thought it was too good to be true - and it was.
one of the guys from the manufacterer said that reformatting wouldn't help either. i think the problem may be with HP (the lap top). everyone "passes the buck" have talked to microsoft, HP and the manufacterers of the drives (i have 2 different brands).
funny thing is that my old one works in both.
right now it looks like i'm stuck. :grumbling
i think i'll go drown my sorrows in a generous bowl of coffee ice cream.